Through knee injury, Joe Thornton remains workout fanatic

SAN JOSE — Two weeks after Joe Thornton had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, there remains no indication whether the venerable Sharks center will be able to play again this season.

Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said he talked to Thornton on Wednesday at the team’s practice facility, but did not have an update on when Thornton might skate again.

“Typical Joe. I walked up into the weight room and I said, ‘I’d like to talk to you before you leave the rink. How long do you think you’re going to be? He goes, ‘probably a couple hours,”‘ DeBoer said Thursday morning. “I waited for him and sure enough, it was two-plus. He’s right back at it.”

The Sharks issued a statement Jan. 25 that said Thornton had the surgery “to address an issue with his right medial collateral ligament” and that there was no timetable for a return.

Thornton has regularly worked out at the Sharks’ practice facility ever since he had the procedure.

The Sharks are 2-3-1 in Thornton’s absence and 28-17-8 overall, and head into Thursday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights alone in second place in the Pacific Division with 64 points. The Sharks play five of their next six games at home, with the next five against division foes.

At the time of his Jan. 23 injury against the Winnipeg Jets, Thornton had 36 points in 47 games.

Including Thursday’s game, the Sharks have 29 regular season games remaining over the next two months. The NHL trade deadline is Feb. 26 and the playoffs are scheduled to start April 11.